Name: Lida Wos
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
High School: Serra Catholic High School
Sport: Softball
College: Academy of Art University. The institution is located in San Francisco, California and competes at the NCAA Division II level. The university is home to around 7,000 students and are members of the Pacific West Conference in athletics. The institution also states they’re the largest privately owned art and design school in the United States.
Why She Chose Academy of Art: “I’ve always wanted to work in film. For the past four years, I’ve hopped on odd jobs as a production assistant, on locations, and any opportunity that had anything to do with learning more in film. Academy of Art is the only Division II art school in the NCAA. They have a film program with a high level of connections and opportunities in film. It was the perfect fit for me. With it being in California, I was unsure that I would even be on their radar, but they found me. Not a lot of schools I was interested in or who were interested in me had film programs and financially, I was really seeking a scholarship. I was going to head straight into the industry through the PA Film Office program of film which was hiring if this opportunity did not arise.”
High School Accolades and Statistics: Eight-time varsity letter winner between softball (3), soccer (3), and basketball (2), three-time varsity softball team captain, three-time all-section honoree in softball and soccer each, all-state selection in both softball and soccer, and two Defensive Player All-Selections in soccer. In her three seasons of high school softball, Wos hit .489 with 22 extra-base hits, 62 runs-batted-in, 47 stolen bases, and 76 runs scored.
College Accolades: Started in 23 of 32 games played, hit .229 with 16 hits, five runs-batted-in, 13 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases.
Major and Future Plans: Motion Picture and Television with hopes to work in cinematography and editing. “I’ve worked on numerous projects with upperclassmen as an editor and on my own projects as well. I’ve worked on two thesis shorts, a music video, three short films, and began working on a full length documentary that will be completed by the end of this year. I also earned my first job outside of school by word of mouth. I’ve been truly amazed by the wonderful community with the film department as a first year editor in film.”
What Pittsburgh Nitro Softball Means to Her: “A community and program that took a chance on a 14-year old kid to play on a 18U showcase team. They shaped me into a competitive athlete and leader from a young age. I competed and earned spots against girls who were already in college. I was pushed to always be great and to take chances. I also learned not only how to be a solid teammate, but life lessons to be successful and an individual who can work well with others.”
Top Memories from 2023-24 Season: Leading all conference freshman in stolen bases (11), finishing fifth in the conference overall in stolen bases, making diving plays in the outfield, beating Biola at the beginning of conference play, being a part of the university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), speaking at the Arty Awards as a host, and earning a position on the executive board for 2024-2025 school year in SAAC.
Life-Changing Coaches: “Denny Willaman, my high school coach, helped me so much during one of the toughest periods for me and got me to the place where I was able to play softball again. I struggled with an eating disorder to the point where I was told I would never play sports again. He’s one of the reasons why I recovered and am here today playing college sports. I’m also thankful for my childhood coaches Jamie Wade and my Penn Hills family. Coach Wade has always been a huge role model to me and always pushed me to be great. It was as if I was her own child. She always helped my family out with rides to tournaments, games, and practices.”
How Serra Catholic High School Has Shaped Her: “I learned resilience, fight, and what it means to be a leader on and off the field at Serra Catholic. I had phenomenal coaches and supporters throughout my four years there. Denny Willaman, the head coach for the softball team, was a strong influence not only on the field, but off. He taught us how to be great athletes, and more important, people. I will forever be thankful for the opportunity of growth through the softball program and what they did for us not only physically as players, but mentally. I learned a lot and I miss the strong community and environment that helped me become the athlete I am today.”
A Message About Mental Health: Never give up on your goals and to use your supporters when you need them. I was unsure of what life had in store for me and the path I was going to take. I worked hard and continue to work on myself everyday even if it’s just going on a walk. It’s important to take care of your mind and body; It’s never too late to get the help you need or the support system to help you succeed. Eating disorders are common in athletes at all levels and result in detrimental health complications after the fact and during. As an athlete, and someone who is recovering, just know there are better things coming. Take care of yourself and your body’s needs. At the end of the day, it’s important to know there are resources to help through the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to become the strongest version of yourself!”
Western PA Sports Blog 